Self-Calibrating Vehicle Camera System Using Geometric Model Merging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile camera systems for vehicles require complex and time-consuming recalibration due to arbitrary positions and orientations, making them impractical for flexible installation and integration with surround-view systems, especially in vehicles with interchangeable trailers or implements.
Innovation Solution
A self-calibrating camera system that uses mobile camera units mounted on vehicle side panels, captures geometric parameters of the side panel within its field of view, generates a local geometric model, and merges it with a predefined global model to determine the camera's position and orientation, allowing for automatic calibration without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If mobile camera units are used to enable flexible positioning, then adaptability is improved, but calibration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system performs automatic self-calibration by capturing images of the vehicle's own geometry (side panels, edges, corners) and computing camera positions and orientations through image processing and geometric modeling, eliminating the need for external calibration equipment or manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system determines camera calibration parameters (position and orientation coordinates) by analyzing geometric features in images and solving for these parameters automatically, transforming the calibration process from a manual setup task to an automated computational process
2Ease of operation
If mobile camera units with arbitrary positions are used, then ease of installation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces mechanical positioning and manual measurement methods with optical imaging and computational geometry, using camera images to automatically determine precise positions and orientations without requiring physical measurement tools or expert installation knowledge
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle's own geometric features (side panels, edges, corners) serve as an intermediary reference system that the camera captures and uses to self-determine its position and orientation, eliminating the need for external calibration targets or equipment
3Measurement precision
If recalibration is performed every time the camera system is used, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system performs calibration automatically during normal operation or initialization without requiring separate calibration sessions, capturing necessary geometric features and computing parameters as part of the standard system startup or operational sequence
Solution Approach 2:
The system calibrates itself automatically using its own imaging capability and computational resources, eliminating the need for external calibration equipment, expert intervention, or dedicated calibration time, making the process as efficient as normal operation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a camera system (2) for a vehicle (1), comprising at least one computing unit (3), wherein the camera system (2) is designed to generate a local geometric model (Ml, Mr, Mh) of at least one mobile camera unit (Kl, Kr, Kh) of the vehicle (1). According to the invention, the camera system (2) is designed to merge a predefined global geometric a-priori model (MAP) of the vehicle (1) with the local geometric model (Ml, Mr, Mh) of the vehicle (1) of the at least one mobile camera unit (Kl ,Kr, Kh) and at least one further local geometric model (Ml, Mr, Mh) of the vehicle (1) to form a global model (M) of the vehicle (1), and to determine a position (PKl, PKr, PKh) of the at least one mobile camera unit (Kl, Kr, Kh) in the global model (M) of the vehicle (1).